Dial M for Murder Review
RATING: (4 STARS) One of Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest strengths was his ability to manage enormous set pieces and make them extremely memorable. Take the plane crash scene in Foreign Correspondent, the Royal Albert Hall scene in The Man Who Knew Too Much, or the crop duster chase in North by Northwest. Ironically, one of the […]
The Night of the Hunter Review
RATING: (4 STARS) The Night of the Hunter is a frightening film with a main character that is as close to pure evil as we’ve seen in film history. Robert Mitchum’s portrayal of Harry Powell is absolutely incredible—it could give Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lector a run for his money in the villain department. Even beyond […]
West Side Story Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a sucker for musicals. The silly songs and choreography—on top of typically outstanding technical—generally sweep me up despite the inherent cheesiness of these affairs. Actually, the cheesier the better. I guess that’s why I enjoyed West Side Story so much. It’s beyond cheesy, but the […]
Marty Review
RATING: (3 STARS) In many ways, Marty is an atypical Best Picture winner—especially when you consider the time period in which it came out. Bridge on the River Kwai, Ben-Hur, Around the World in 80 Days—all these films are (for better or worse) big, lavish, and epic. Marty, however, is a small-scale romantic comedy. It’s […]
The Last Emperor Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) It’s somewhat ironic that I watched 1987 Best Picture winner The Last Emperor so soon after seeing 1996 winner The English Patient because the two share so many techniques, strengths, and weaknesses. It’s a gorgeous piece of work in every way. The way director Bernardo Bertolucci rendered this world is astounding. It’s […]
Apocalypse Now Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Apocalypse Now’s back story has been exhaustively covered, but for good reason. The film forever altered the trajectory of Francis Ford Coppola’s career (and nearly destroyed his sanity). It almost killed Martin Sheen. It was disrupted by indecision, narcissism, and acts of Mother Nature. It was delayed for a long time and […]
Blood Simple Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple is about as assured a directorial debut as I’ve ever seen. It’s a film noir very reminiscent of classics like Double Indemnity, but it has a tone that’s all its own. It’s a quiet film—one that relies a lot on atmosphere to build suspense. But I have […]
Singin’ in the Rain Review
RATING: (4 STARS) When I watched My Fair Lady for the first time a few weeks ago, I was forced to ask myself a difficult question: “Is this film better than Singin’ in the Rain?†For as long as I’ve been watching movies, I’ve adored Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly’s musical send-up of the silent […]
Once Upon a Time in the West Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Once Upon a Time in the West is like the ultimate adult fairy tale. It takes place long ago in a land far away (if not in distance, than in memory). It features clearly defined protagonists and antagonists, and in the end, just about everything is as it should be. But it’s […]
Anatomy of a Murder Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Anatomy of a Murder is a conventional court drama masquerading as an all-time great. Much of director Otto Preminger’s film is unsurprising and unoriginal. Some of it is downright uninspired. But two things make this film a must-watch for any movie buff: the sensational writing and the brilliant performance by Jimmy Stewart. […]
Sweet Smell of Success Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Films that revel in mankind’s more seedy traits often walk a tricky line. On the one hand, they must remain true to themselves and deal with their characters’ flaws in believable and honest ways. But they can’t make these characters so unlikeable that they prevent any kind of audience connection. As sick […]
My Fair Lady Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Movie musicals are a tricky thing to nail because while music is a nice easy way to inject some energy or emotion into a film, too often the music is injected unnaturally. This can cause characters to act ridiculously, and it usually begs the question, “How do all these people know the […]
Do the Right Thing Review
RATING: (4 STARS) *Caution: Mild spoilers may follow. Spike Lee has directed many joints in his career, but none is as admired and revered as Do the Right Thing. It’s a brilliant slice-of-life that tackles issues of race head on and without fear. It’s the kind of film that earns the label of “controversial,†not […]
Se7en Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Se7en is one of the darkest serial-killer films of all-time. It contains a truly twisted killer and one of the most brutal endings I’ve ever seen in film. It has obtained real cult status since its release in 1995 and helped put director David Fincher on the map. I don’t believe it’s […]
WHICH IS BETTER: The Man Who Knew Too Much
Very generally, The Man Who Knew Too Much is about an assassination, a kidnapping, and an ordinary man who is forced to do extraordinary things to save someone he loves, yet the two versions have a number of quite obvious differences. The original begins in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Bob Lawrence (Leslie Banks) and his wife, […]
The Best Years of Our Lives Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Sometimes the hardest thing for a soldier isn’t surviving the war—it’s coming back home when it’s over. This theme has been explored dozens of times (including very recently in The Hurt Locker), but one of the first to do so was William Wyler’s Best Picture-winning The Best Years of Our Lives. The […]
